


Gorgeous Laurel

by ArgentLives



Series: live in gal pals [15]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/F, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-19
Updated: 2015-09-19
Packaged: 2018-04-21 11:16:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4827041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgentLives/pseuds/ArgentLives
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Felicity is so not jealous of her ex-boyfriend's ex-girlfriend. And she's so not attracted to her, either. Not at all. Nope. Not even a little bit. No, seriously, Iris, shut <em>up</em>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gorgeous Laurel

**Author's Note:**

> written for the prompt: "pretending to hate each other au"

“I just don’t get it,” Felicity huffed, tightening her white-knuckled grip on her martini glass and glaring daggers at the woman dancing across the room from them. “What people see in her, I mean. _Gorgeous Laurel._ With her perfect hair and her perfect smile and her perfect teeth and her perfect body and her perfect muscles and her stupid perfect lawyer skills and—”

“Seems to me like you get it pretty well,” Iris laughed, clearly amused. Felicity kicked her underneath the bar. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she all but growled. “What I _mean_ is that all the guys are always following her around whenever she comes in here. Here and everywhere else she goes, actually.”

Iris rolled her eyes and fought back a smile. No doubt it would have earned her another kick under the table or an irritated slap on the arm, but Felicity hadn’t even noticed—she was still too busy glaring at Laurel, eyes glued to her body swaying to the beat of the music, watching her move with such burning intensity that Iris imagined Felicity was either willing her to burst into flames right on the spot or thinking of…something else, something very different. She was willing to bet it was the latter, although Felicity would never admit it. “So? Remind me: why are you jealous, exactly? You barely even like guys.”

“Well, yeah, but it’s the concept and all, you know? The fact that she’s got them at her every beck and call. It’s just _-_ -it’s not fair. I mean, she already thinks she’s so much better than everyone else, and here they are all, following her around like lost puppies and fueling her damn ego.” Felicity puffed out her cheeks and let out a long breath of air before bringing her drink up to her lips, downing the rest of it all in one go. When she was sure she was sure she’d drained it of every last drop, she slammed it down on the table with such force Iris was surprised it didn’t shatter, finally tearing her focus away from Laurel to turn her glare onto her friend. “And I am  _not_ jealous!”

“Alright, alright, whatever you say,” Iris held up her hands, feigning defeat as Felicity called over the bartender to order herself another apple martini. “And I think you better slow down there, girl _-_ -we just got here.”

“I just don’t get why Oliver ever dated her,” Felicity burst out, ignoring Iris’s warning and peeling off the alcohol-soaked apple slice from her empty glass, stuffing it into her mouth and chewing it angrily.

“I don’t get why  _you_  ever dated _Oliver,_ ” Iris made a face at the memory. “That guy was a real douche.”

“Yeah, well,” she swallowed, grimacing at the sour taste. She resumed her glare-watching of Laurel, who was now leaning in to shout something in her friend’s ear, clearly struggling to be heard over the music. “Still.”

“Still, what? You know, I’m sure she’s not as bad as you make her out to be. In fact, I don’t think you really  _hate_  her at all.”

“What do you mean, of course I—oh my God,” Felicity groaned, turning her attention abruptly towards Iris with panic in her eyes. “She’s coming over here. Isn’t she? I think I saw her coming towards us–is she still walking this way? No—don’t be so  _obvious_ about it!”

Iris shook her head, and without bothering to be any more discreet, spared another quick glance towards Laurel’s direction. Sure enough, she was coming straight towards them, purpose in her step and eyes all for Felicity. “Yep,” Iris said, popping the ‘p’ matter-of-factly.

“Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck _-_ -just my fucking luck, seriously, I _-_ -do I look okay?” Felicity asked, sounding anxious and strained.

Iris bit back a laugh, settling on giving her friend a teasing little grin. “Why does it matter? You trying to impress anyone?”

“I don’t _appreciate_  the  _insinuation_ , Iris,” Felicity glared at her. “And it does matter, for your information, because I have to make sure I’m at the top of my game. Can’t have her looking better than me, you know? Pretty sure it’s common knowledge to never let your guard down around your enemies. If I look like a mess while she’s looking all _-_ -well, then I already lose. Obviously.”

“Oh, obviously,” Iris repeated, taking a sip from her drink to hide her smirk, voice heavy with amusement.

Before Felicity could open her mouth to respond, a snarky comment on the tip of her tongue, Laurel had already reached them. She leaned casually against the bar, looking around as if she owned the place. At first, she didn’t even acknowledge Felicity, aside from flashing perfectly friendly smile towards Iris. Felicity scowled, keeping her gaze fixed determinedly ahead. So much for looking better than her enemy. Laurel just  _had_  to look even better up close, and of course she had to be wearing that stupid skin-tight dress, of course her lipstick was the perfect color to bring out her eyes, and _-_ -no. Best to stop that train of thought in its tracks, before it made it any further. 

 _Get a grip, Felicity,_  she scolded herself.  _No fantasizing about the enemy allowed. Nope, nuh-uh, absolutely not._

“Drink, Laurel?” the bartender, who had yet to return with Felicity’s martini, said, sauntering over to where she stood. “On the house.”

Of course, Felicity thought again, silently fuming. Of fucking course the bartender would offer perfect, gorgeous Laurel a free drink, just another guy jumping through hoops to do favors for her, and–

“No thanks, Tommy,” she sighed, offering up an appreciative smile nonetheless. “I don’t drink anymore.”

The bartender _-_ -Tommy _-_ -nodded in understanding, before breaking out into a grin. “No problem. I’ll just get you something virgin, then.” He winked at her, turning on his heel and busying himself with putting something together before she could protest. That  _wink_ , that stupid wink, those flirty eyes _-_ -Felicity felt her blood boiling as her mind replayed the image over and over again. This was just getting worse and worse, and Laurel hadn’t even spoken two words to her yet.

“So, Smoak…” Laurel greeted her cooly, turned towards her with an icy glare.

 _Aaand that was two. Way to jinx it, you idiot._ “Lance,” Felicity narrowed her eyes, matching Laurel’s frosty tone. “What a…pleasant surprise it is to see you here.”

“You know, I would say the same, except for the fact that I think you’re full of shit.”

“Ex _cuse_   _me-_ -?” Felicity started, instantly feeling the heat rush to her face, as Laurel leaned in with an almost predatory look in her eye.

“Listen, if you’re going to say nasty things about me, grow up and say it to my face, okay? I get enough of that with my job, I don’t need that from someone like you.”

“I wasn’t _-_ -what do you _-_ -” she spluttered, looking to Iris for support and getting a helpless little shrug in return.

“Oh, please. Don’t try that whole innocent and pure act with me. You’ve been glaring at me all night, and I could see your mouth moving while you were looking right at me–whatever you were saying, it obviously wasn’t anything good. I’m not blind, and I may not be Miss MIT, but I’m certainly not stupid,  _Felicity_.”

“Well you know what,” Felicity bristled, hopping off her stool so that she could draw herself up to full height, and–shit. She realized too late that Laurel was just a little bit taller than her, and resisted the urge to stand on her tip-toes to make up for the extra inch. “Excuse me for holding a grudge against the woman who ruined my relationship.”

She heard Iris cough into her drink and kicked her under the table again _-_ -Laurel didn’t have to know that she’d technically broken up with Oliver. If it hadn’t been for Laurel in the first place, she might not have had to. Of course, there was that nagging little voice in the back of her head that sounded very suspiciously like Iris telling her that it was for the best, that honestly she should be thanking Laurel if that were the case, that breaking up with Oliver had been ultimately the best thing she could’ve done for herself, but she ignored that too.

“Wait _-_ -you and Ollie broke up?”

“Yeah, we did,” she said, eyeing Laurel mistrustfully. Did she really not know…? “Because of you. And he hates that nickname, by the way. Clearly I knew him better, since apparently you weren’t close enough to get that memo.”

“Actually, I did know that. That’s why I use it, because somewhere, somehow, I’d like to think that he can tell when I’m using it, and it’s pissing him off–the asshole. But anyway, how’d you work that one out? I mean, you’re one to talk.  _You’re_  the one who broke up  _my_  relationship.”

“Because _-_ -” that was…a good question, Felicity realized with a start. She couldn’t really admit to ‘resenting’ Laurel for simply dating the same guy, and the more she learned about Oliver’s character, the harder it was to believe the things he’d told her. “–because you broke his heart, you probably gave him all those commitment issues and _-_ -”

“Do you even realize how ridiculous you sound? He dumped me out of nowhere, right before we were supposed to move in together, to date you, and you’re blaming me for ending  _your_ relationship? Please.”

Felicity blinked, struggling to regain her composure. Okay, so that was…new. She’d known, honestly, that he wasn’t a good person, but she had loved him, and the stubborn, illogical part of her couldn’t help trying to shirk some of the blame. “He said _-_ -he said _-_ -”

“I’m sure he probably said a lot of things.” Laurel sighed. “Look, I don’t know what he told you about me, but if you’re gonna hate me, hate me for things that are actually true.”

“Oh, yeah?” Felicity bristled, taking the bait. She knew at this point she was being ridiculous, but when she held a grudge, she stuck to it, whether or not it made sense. She could practically hear Iris rolling her eyes at her. “Like what?”

Laurel smirked, pushing herself away from the bar to stand in front of Felicity, slowly backing her into it. Despite herself, Felicity felt her skin flush, her pulse quicken at the close proximity. Still, she swallowed hard, standing her ground.

“Well, for one, at the risk of sounding like we’re back in high school, I  _am_  a better kisser.”

“What _-_ -I _-_ -excuse me _-_ -” Felicity spluttered, turning to Iris for support only to find that she was busy chatting up Laurel’s friend, the one she’d been dancing with. “You know what _-_ -that’s just _-_ -that’s a blatant  _lie._ ”

“Is it? I saw you in here with Ollie before. You didn’t look like you were doing much for _-_ -”

“You know what? If you’re so cocky, then prove it,” Felicity cut in, baring her teeth and straightening herself up so that she and Laurel were practically toe-to-toe, their faces only inches apart.

“Prove _-_ -oh. Um.” Laurel’s eyes widened, and for the first time since they’d started talking _-_ -arguing, whatever _-_ -she actually looked thrown. Felicity felt a momentary flare of satisfaction before what she’d said actually caught up with her.

“Oh, God, I didn’t mean _-_ -”

“Okay,” Laurel nodded, eyes dark, gaze flickering down to Felicity’s lips, and despite herself, Felicity felt anticipation suddenly churning in her stomach, a traitorous flutter in her chest. “I don't know about you, but I’m never one to back down from a challenge.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted on my [tumblr](http://bisexualiriswest.tumblr.com/), as most of these prompt fills are.


End file.
